An epic fantasy world

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Races

Ankaykari

The Ankaykari are immortal entities who dwell in the magical realm of Askamar. There are only twenty-seven, but they are immensely powerful and impossible to destroy. Although Ankaykari often appear in human or yuyarni guise, they are shape-shifters who can assume any form they wish.

Ankaykari society is ruled by the nine Esu, each of whom strives to gain the allegiance of the other eight. Over the millennia, the Esu have founded great empires in Udaris with the help of their human and yuyarni servants. Many mortals envy and resent the Ankaykari, but they are frequently able to manipulate them through clever words. Sometimes humans and Ankaykari fall in love, producing hybrid offspring known as Kaniyari.

Humans

Humans come from the mundane world, which is why Udaris is also sometimes referred to as the ‘human world’.

The Ankaykari have been fascinated by humankind ever since the founding of the first Udarissan cities, for they believe that humans are like themselves — people who build edifices, develop systems of writing and are ruled by kings. It is for this reason that the Ankaykari usually choose to assume human guise and adorn their Citadels with human artefacts. All are eager to bring the mundane world under their power, much to the dismay of those humans who wished to govern their own affairs.

Kaniyari

A Kaniyari is the offspring of an Ankaykari and a mortal. From their Ankaykari parent they gain great magical powers, the ability to recover from almost any wound and a lifespan of about a thousand years. From their mortal parent they inherit the ability to dwell in the mundane world. For this reason, most Kaniyari choose to reside in Udaris, where no mortal or Ankaykari is powerful enough to challenge them.

Ankaykari often feel ambivalent about the ‘half-bloods’ — Kaniyari may conquer or govern mundane lands for them, but they are not always loyal. Like mortals, they have no qualms about lying, and they can easily usurp their parents’ authority in Udaris. While Ankaykari and humans often fall in love, few Kaniyari are ever born, as the immortals find the risk of being betrayed by their offspring too painful.

Dragons / Yuyarni

The yuyarni are a mortal race who dwell in both Askamar and Udaris. Many humans regard them with horror, not only because they are terrifying warriors but because they devour the flesh of humans after battle. In the eyes of some, they are no different from animals.

Yuyarni tend to look upon humans with equal contempt. They call themselves the Elder Race, claiming that they were the first of the mortal peoples to appear. Most yuyarni serve the Ankaykari in whose territory they reside. The immortals often send them into Udaris to defend their mundane empires and conquer new lands.